Canada Social Transfer (CST)http://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/cst-eng.asp
The CST is a federal block transfer to provinces and territories in
support of post-secondary education, social assistance and social
services, and early childhood development and early learning and childcare.

Source:
Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territorieshttp://www.fin.gc.ca/access/fedprov-eng.asp There are four main transfer programs: the Canada Health Transfer
(CHT), the Canada Social Transfer (CST), Equalization and Territorial
Formula Financing (TFF). Follow this link for detailed info for all
provinces and territories.

Federal Support to Provinces and
Territorieshttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/mtp-eng.asp
In 201314, provinces and territories will receive $62.3 billion
through major transfers (Canada Health Transfer, Canada Social Transfer,
Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing)  an increase
of $2.2 billion from the previous year.

* History of the Health and Social Transfershttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/his-eng.aspRecommended reading!
Excellent albeit brief history of how the federal government calculates
its contributions to provincial and territorial health and welfare,
social services and post-secondary education (and a few one-off items).
Covers the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP), the Canada Health and Social
Transfer (CHST) and, finally, the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and
Canada Social Transfer

* Federal Support for Childrenhttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/fsc-eng.asp
- incl. a brief description of, and expenditure information for, the
Universal Child Care Plan (2006 and 2007), the Early Learning and
Child Care Initiative (2005), the Early Learning and Child Care Framework
Agreement (2003), and the Early Childhood Development Agreement (2000)
NOTE: This list formerly included Support for First Nations and Aboriginal
Children, but this program was cut by the Harper Government.

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Comparing welfare in Canada and the U.S.?
WHOA!

American and Canadian welfare systems should
NOT be compared without situating each within its social policy context.
The American definition of welfare under TANF applies only to families with
children, but in Canada, the definition applies to single people AND families,
people with disabilities and employable people.

Harper Government Providing Unprecedented
Support to
Provinces and Territories for Health Care, Education Canadians Rely Onhttp://www.fin.gc.ca/n14/14-177-eng.aspDecember 15, 2014
Finance Minister Joe Oliver has presented his provincial and territorial counterparts
with details on 201516 transfer amounts. Every province and territory
will benefit from higher transfers next year. Major federal transfers to provinces
and territories will total $67.9 billion in 201516, an increase of more
than $3 billion from the current year, and almost 63% since 200506.

There are four main annual federal transfer
programs: the Canada Health Transfer (CHT), the Canada Social Transfer (CST),
Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing (TFF). For more info on each
of these, click the link above.

* Federal Support to Provinces and Territorieshttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/mtp-eng.asp
- includes national figures as well as breakdowns for each province/territory
for FY 2005-2006 to FY 2015-2016 --- 11 years of stats!

[Canada] Bill tabled
to ban refugees from social assistancehttp://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/09/14/bill_tabled_to_ban_refugees_from_social_assistance.html
September 14, 2014
A Conservative MP's private member bill is quietly making its way through
the legislature and, if passes, could exclude refugees from accessing help.
(...) Bill C-585 [ http://goo.gl/sjTW9f
], which is before Parliament for second reading later this month, would allow
provinces to individually impose residency requirements for eligibility for
social assistance benefits and restrict access to those benefits by refugees.
(...)
Currently, the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act, which lays out
the terms of the Canada Social Transfer, stipulates that a province may not
impose a minimum period of residency to restrict eligibility for social assistance
 or it will risk losing some or all of its social transfer payments.
The condition is meant to ensure that a national standard is in place to support
those in need of help. Embedding such a major change in a private members
bill has irked antipoverty and refugee advocates because such bills, as opposed
to government bills, are less transparent and undergo less scrutiny; theyre
usually put forward to address issues of regional significance.

Ontario struggling with welfare usage
rates compared to most other provinceshttp://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1305833/ontario-struggling-with-welfare-usage-rates-compared-to-most-other-provinces
February 13, 2014
A report released today by The School of Public Policy of the University of
Calgary offers a national scan of social assistance usage rates to identify
trends amongst the Canadian provinces. Based on their analysis, Ron Kneebone
and Katherine White conclude that Ontario has the biggest problem with welfare
usage (over 7 per cent in 2012) - Alberta maintains the lowest usage rate
(roughly 3 per cent in 2012).

An explanation that deserves attention is the
replacement, in 1996, of shared federal-provincial financing of social assistance
under the Canada Assistance Plan with its replacement, the Canada Health and
Social Transfer, putting the sole responsibility*
for financing on provinces. No longer able to spend 50-cent dollars
as under CAP, the provinces introduced significant changes in program design,
rules and regulations.

* NOTE
(by Gilles):
It's misleading to state that the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST)
put the sole responsibility for financing provincial social assistance programs
on the provinces (and territories), who were no longer able to spend '50-cent
dollars' because the federal funding formula was changed in 1996 from a federal
contribution equal to 50% of approved provincial-territorial welfare costs
to a block fund that included social assistance and social services AND health
insurance AND post-secondary education.

As noted in the National Council of Welfare's
1997 report Another Look at Welfare Reform (PDF - 6.75MB, 134 pages):
[ http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1997_another_look_at_welfare_reform.pdf
]
... (page 4) "The new funding arrangements started with the 1996-97 fiscal
year on April 1996 and ushered in sizable [sic] cuts in combined federal support
for medicare, post-secondary education, welfare and social services. In the
1994-95 fiscal year, the federal government paid $29.4 billion to the provinces
and territories for the four programs, partly in cash and partly in taxing
powers that Ottawa had originally given up in 1977. By 1997-98, total federal
support would fall by 14 percent to $25.2 billion."

The federal contribution to provincial social
assistance decreased between 1994 and 1998, but it wasn't eliminated. Ottawa
allowed provinces to apportion the (decreased) federal dollars among the aforementioned
programs as they saw fit, thus giving them more flexibility in the administration
and financing of their programs. BTW- this is NOT an endorsement of the demise
of the Canada Assistance Plan in favour of the CHST. I agree with most progressive
program analysts, who saw the 1996 federal funding switch as regressive, with
the National Council of Welfare going so far as to call it "the
worst policy initiative undertaken by the federal government in more than
a generation."

---

NOTE 2:
The nit-picker in me bubbles to the surface once in awhile, and today's one
of those days --- "social assistance" (without the hyphen) is the
correct spelling of the name of this program.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Rebuttal by
John Stapleton:

The rise and fall of welfare analysis
in Canadahttp://openpolicyontario.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-welfare-analysis-in-canada/
February 14, 2014
As a lifelong student of social assistance caseloads in Canada, I looked forward
to The Rise and Fall of Social Assistance Use in Canada, 1969-2012
by Ron Kneebone and Katherine White. My interest became even more avid when
I read that the authors had cited some my data to come to their conclusions.
The report is reasonably fair in its approach even
if it does not mention or analyse the most important reasons why welfare caseloads
have risen and fallen in Canada.

But that was before I read the news release
supporting the report which comes to remarkably different conclusions than
the report itself. Its chiding tone and speculative welfare baiting made me
wonder if the real news release supporting the report was somehow mislaid
or separated at birth.

Excerpt from the report, p.3:
... the government of Ontario has, since 2007, posted on its website monthly
data on cases and beneficiaries under its Ontario Works program, but the government
is much less forthcoming about the number of beneficiaries of the Ontario
Disability Support Program (ODSP). For information on ODSP beneficiaries,
we relied on a privately maintained website created by former Ontario government
bureaucrat John Stapleton.
---
The link to the ODSP stats appears on the same page as the link to OW stats,
here:http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/reports/index.aspx
As far as I can remember - certainly as far back as 2007, the statistics for
BOTH Ontario social assistance programs have been available online.
"Much less forthcoming?"
I think not.

The Canada Social Transfer (CST) is the primary
source of federal funding in Canada that supports provincial and territorial
social programs, specifically, post secondary education, social assistance
and social services, and programs for children. (...) Canadian advocates of
human rights and equitable public policy are increasingly concerned with accountability
and have called for the government to introduce conditions and standards associated
with the CST to improve accountability and to ensure that Canadians, regardless
of location, have equal access to adequate social programming. (...) This
paper investigates the adequacy of government provision and accountability
in delivering social services through an in-depth exploration of income security
funding at the national, provincial, and local level in Canada.
[Excerpts from the Executive Summary]

Executive Summary only (PDF - 100K, 4
pages)http://goo.gl/uPiUW
(...)
The funding provided through the Canada Social Transfer is insufficient to
meet most provincial spending on just income assistance, and falls even more
drastically short of the actual funding that would be required to provide
adequate social assistance, social services, childcare and early childhood
education, and post-secondary education.

Federal Support for Health Care Set to
Grow from Record Levels in 2013-14http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2013/2013-40-eng.php
April 1st, 2013Ottawa -The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of
Health, today reaffirmed that the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) will reach
a record high level of $30.3 billion in 2013-14, providing provinces and territories
with long-term, predictable and sustainable funding to support the effective
front-line delivery of health care services to Canadians and their families.
(...) The CHT will grow at 6 per cent per year, from $28.6
billion in 2012-13 to a projected $37.7 billion in 2017-18, exceeding the
current growth rate of provincial health care spending. Starting in 2017-18,
the CHT will grow in line with a three-year moving average of nominal GDP
growth, with funding guaranteed to increase by at least 3 per cent per year.
(...)In addition to the CHT, the federal government provides
transfers to the provinces and territories in support of education, child
care and social services through the Canada Social Transfer (CST). The Equalization
and Territorial Formula Financing Programs also ensure that provinces and
territories can provide Canadians access to reasonably comparable programs
and services at comparable levels of taxation.

Federal Support for Social Programs Set
to Grow to New Record Levels in 2013-14http://goo.gl/CCl8G
Undated (tsk-tsk), but likely April 1st, 2013
Gatineau, QuebecThe Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources
and Skills Development, today reaffirmed that the Canada Social Transfer (CST)
will reach a record high level of $12.2 billion this fiscal year, providing
provinces and territories with long-term, predictable and sustainable funding
to support education, child care and social services for Canadian families.
(...)
The CST will grow at three per cent per year, from $11.9 billion in 201213
to $13.7 billion in 20172018 in support of post-secondary education,
social assistance and social services, childcare, early childhood development
and early learning.
(...)Details on specific transfer amounts to provinces and territories are available
on
the Finance Canada web site:http://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/mtp-eng.asp

Federal Support to Provinces and Territorieshttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/mtp-eng.asp
In 201314, provinces and territories will receive $62.3 billion through
major transfers (Canada Health Transfer, Canada Social Transfer, Equalization
and Territorial Formula Financing)  an increase of $2.2 billion from
the previous year.

Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territorieshttp://www.fin.gc.ca/access/fedprov-eng.asp There are four main transfer programs: the Canada Health Transfer (CHT),
the Canada Social Transfer (CST), Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing
(TFF). Follow this link for detailed info for all provinces and territories

* Federal Support for Childrenhttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/fsc-eng.asp
- incl. a brief description of, and expenditure information for, the Universal
Child Care Plan (2006 and 2007), the Early Learning and Child Care Initiative
(2005), the Early Learning and Child Care Framework Agreement (2003), and
the Early Childhood Development Agreement (2000)
NOTE: This list formerly included Support for First Nations and Aboriginal
Children, but this program was cut by the Harper Government.

The Canada Social Transfer and the Deconstruction
of
Pan-Canadian Social Policy
By Donna E. Wood, University of Victoria
March 2013

Table of Contents:
Intro
Part 1 : Building Canadas welfare state
--- Social assistance,welfare services and the Canada Assistance Plan
--- Postsecondary education and Established Programs Finance
Part 2 : Federal retrenchment and reinvestment
---Re-investments in health care
--- Re-investmentsin welfare services and postsecondary education
--- The split into the Canada Health Transfer and the Canada Social Transfer
Part 3 : The fall out
--- Social assistance
--- Social services and childrens programming
--- Postsecondary education
Part 4 : Who speaks for the Canada Social Transfer?
--- Social development interests
--- Postsecondary education interests
--- Other interests
--- Interests of federal, provincial and territorial governments
Part 5 : So what does this all mean?
--- Does a dedicated federal social transfer still matter?
--- Should the Canada Social Transfer be formally split?
--- Could national standards or conditions be established?
Part 6 : Contemporary challenges in federal-provincial relations
Conclusion
References

Source:Vibrant Communities Calgaryhttp://www.vibrantcalgary.com/
Vibrant Communities Calgary is a non-profit organization that works collaboratively,
with various stakeholders and partners, seeking to engage Calgarians and to
advocate for long-term strategies that address the root causes of poverty
in Calgary.

Related link:

Action to End Poverty in Albertahttp://www.actiontoendpovertyinalberta.org/
Action to End Poverty in Alberta is a non-profit initiative that works collaboratively
with all levels of government, the community and with people experiencing
poverty, to help develop and implement a comprehensive strategy and action
plan to end poverty in Alberta.

Back to Basics: The Future of the Fiscal
Arrangements (PDF - 1.6MB, 32 pages)http://www.mowatcentre.ca/pdfs/mowatResearch/75.pdfDecember 2012
By Matthew Mendelsohn
In the fifth paper in the Fiscal Transfers Series, Matthew Mendelsohn argues
that Canadas system of fiscal arrangements is misaligned with current
economic realities. In particular, the system transfers funds from Ontario
for redistribution at a time when Ontarios fiscal capacity is below
the national average. This is not sustainable for Ontario and violates the
most basic understandings of equity built into the system. The paper documents
how this situation arose and makes recommendations to fix it.

Mowat Centre Fiscal Transfers series
Every year, the federal government transfers over $50 billion to the provinces
and territories. These funds help provinces and territories deliver the services
Canadians count on. The major agreements that underpin these transfers are
set to be renewed by 2014. There is broad consensus that the transfer system
could improve.
The Mowat Centre has released a series of research papers outlining options
for reform of the fiscal transfer systemreforms that offer a more principled
approach to federal redistribution and reflect a dynamic, evolving federation.

Source:Mowat Centre for Policy Innovationhttp://www.mowatcentre.ca/
The Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation is an independent, non-partisan public
policy think tank. We were established in 2009 with seed money from the Ontario
government. We undertake applied public policy research and engage in public
dialogue on federal issues important to the prosperity and quality of life
of Ontario and Canada.

From StatCan's
"The Daily" for December 19, 2012:

Fiscal Arrangements Certificates: Federal
Equalization Program, 2013/2014http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/121219/dq121219g-eng.htm
Fiscal Certificates prepared for the administration of the Federal-provincial
Fiscal Arrangements Act and Regulations for 2013/2014 are now available. The
Fiscal Certificates cover the four fiscal years of data from 2009/2010 to
2012/2013.

The Fiscal Certificates are available free
of charge in electronic format upon request.
---
[ Comment by Gilles : If these certificates are free and already in electronic
format, why hasn't StatCan already posted them online instead of requiring
interested parties to contact StatCan and self-identify to obtain a copy??
Surely StatCan knows that many people refuse on principle to divulge their
personal information. Oh, wait --- I think StatCan figured that one out. Transparency
and accountability, eh? That's B.S. ]
---

If you still wish to acquire the certificates,
obtain more information or enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality
of this release, contact StatCan (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; infostats@statcan.gc.ca)
or Media Relations (613-951-4636; mediahotline@statcan.gc.ca).

New from Finance Canada (December 17)--- Transfer Payments to Provinces and Territories for 201314
--- Backgrounder on Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing Renewal

With transfers growing from record highs,
Finance Ministers
positioned to focus on jobs, growth and long-term prosperityhttp://www.fin.gc.ca/n12/12-166-eng.asp
December 17, 2012
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today presented Provincial
and Territorial Finance Ministers with details on transfer amounts for 2013-14,
as well as on technical improvements to the Equalization and Territorial Formula
Financing (TFF) programs in the context of the renewal of these programs
enabling legislation, which expires on March 31, 2014.

* Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territorieshttp://www.fin.gc.ca/access/fedprov-eng.asp There are four main transfer programs: the Canada Health Transfer (CHT),
the Canada Social Transfer (CST), Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing
(TFF). Follow this link for detailed info for all provinces and territories

* Federal Support for Childrenhttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/fsc-eng.asp
- incl. a brief description of, and payment information for, the Universal
Child Care Plan (2006 and 2007), the Early Learning and Child Care Initiative
(2005), the Early Learning and Child Care Framework Agreement (2003), and
the Early Childhood Development Agreement (2000)
NOTE: This list formerly included Support for First Nations and Aboriginal
Children, but this program was cut by the Harper Government.

----------------------------------

LEST WE FORGET:

Cuts Coming to the Canada Health Transfer
and the Canada Social Transfer?
[ Email alert from Rob Rainer of Canada Without Poverty ]
February 1, 2011A rapidly emerging issue of immense public interest
is the future of the Canada Health and Canada Social transfers. Critical decisions
are coming about these transfers that could greatly shape the health and social
security of Canadians in the coming years  and thus the very fabric
of Canada. Through these transfers of many billions of dollars, the federal
government helps support provinces and territories in the delivery of health
care and social security services.

The legislation authorizing
these transfers expires March 31, 2014.

In a remarkable open letter on January 25 to federal Finance Minister, Jim
Flaherty, former senior Department of Finance officials Scott Clark and Peter
Devries lay out the stark implications of this issue. This lengthy open letter
offers a detailed analysis of this issue, and it closes with these words and
questions (bold lettering added here for emphasis):

The decision you, or any government,
will take with respect to the CHT and CST will set the course of the federal
government and federal/provincial relations for many years to follow.
Is it not possible to engage Canadians in this debate before a final decision
is taken? In the past you have supported the analysis and recommendations
of the IMF [International Monetary Fund], and quite rightly so. We would
strongly recommend that you support the IMF conclusion in its recent report
on " the importance of increasing transparency and communication about
these challenges (demographic) and their long-run implications, (and) to
increase public awareness and contribute to a debate about possible solutions.

Fiscal Arrangements Certificates: Federal
Equalization Program, 2013/2014http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/121219/dq121219g-eng.htm
Fiscal Certificates prepared for the administration of the Federal-provincial
Fiscal Arrangements Act and Regulations for 2013/2014 are now available. The
Fiscal Certificates cover the four fiscal years of data from 2009/2010 to
2012/2013.

The Fiscal Certificates are available free
of charge in electronic format upon request.
---
[ Comment by Gilles : If these certificates are free and already in electronic
format, why hasn't StatCan already posted them online instead of requiring
interested parties to contact StatCan and self-identify to obtain a copy??
Surely StatCan knows that many people refuse on principle to divulge their
personal information. Oh, wait --- I think StatCan figured that one out. Transparency
and accountability, eh? That's B.S. ]
---

If you still wish to acquire the certificates,
obtain more information or enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality
of this release, contact StatCan (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; infostats@statcan.gc.ca)
or Media Relations (613-951-4636; mediahotline@statcan.gc.ca).

Canada Social Transfer Project : Accountability
Matters Canadian Association of Social Workers
March 2012

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING!

First, some context:

The Canada Social Transfer (CST) is the primary
source of federal funding in Canada that supports provincial and territorial
social programs, specifically, post secondary education, social assistance,
social services, and programs for children. In 2007, legislated funding for
the CST was extended to 2013-2014, putting it on the same long-term predictable
legislative track as the Canada Health Transfer (CHT). As both 2014 and the
review of the CHT and CST are fast approaching, conversations have begun at
the federal level about the Canada Health Transfer. The Canadian Association
of Social Workers (CASW), a national organization that has adopted a pro-active
approach to addressing issues pertinent to social policy and social work practice
in Canada, calls for a similar approach of review of the Canada Social Transfer
(CST) to be undertaken at the federal level.
(...)
While the Canada Health Transfer is attached to a set of conditions through
the Canada Health Act, the Canada Social Transfer is a largely unconditional
transfer, a fact that has come into question over time by scholars, policy-makers
and activists.
[Source: Excerpt from report background, p.6]

Canadian Association of Social Workers
Report on Social Transferhttp://casw-acts.ca/en/canadian-association-social-workers-report-social-transfer
News Release
March 19, 2012
The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) today issued a comprehensive
report aimed at bringing attention to the lack of accountability inherent
in the receipt and delivery of the Canadian Social Transfer. Entitled Canada
Social Transfer Project - Accountability Matters, the Report outlines recommendations
on renewing accountability for the billions transferred annually from the
federal to provincial governments in support of social services, childcare
and post-secondary education.

An end to the perpetual welfare trap?
Guaranteed incomes debatedhttp://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/an-end-to-the-perpetual-welfare-trap-167004295.html
By: Mary Agnes Welch
August 22, 2012
Bringing back a discarded government program could save taxpayers millions
in health-care and bureaucracy costs and dramatically shrink poverty, just
as it did in Dauphin almost 40 years ago. The problem
is, even the province's left-leaning NDP government likely doesn't have the
political will to use it.
That was the feeling Tuesday at a standing-room-only lecture about a hot public-policy
idea -- a guaranteed annual income that would replace welfare.
It's an idea with roots in Manitoba. Nearly 40 years ago, Dauphin was the
site of an experiment on the effects of a guaranteed income. Every low-income
person in town, including the working poor and people not eligible for welfare,
got a top-up to ensure a basic level of income.
At a discussion hosted by Winnipeg Harvest, University of Manitoba researcher
Evelyn Forget said the results were remarkable: People had much better health,
far more children graduated from high school and people didn't stop working
just because they were guaranteed an income.
(...)
Guaranteed annual income had a rebirth as an interesting, if seemingly radical,
policy alternative to the confusing, expensive hodge-podge of welfare systems
in Canada. We've already adopted some targeted elements of a GAI, such as
the national child benefit and the guaranteed income supplement for seniors.
Yukon toyed with a version of the GAI in 2007, and there was an international
conference focused on the idea in Toronto in May of this year.- includes an overview of the Mincome Manitoba experiment of the mid-1970s,
specifically in Dauphin Manitoba.

Opening the Door : Reducing Barriers to
Post-Secondary Education in Canada (PDF - 1.2MB,
130 pages)http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/411/soci/rep/rep06dec11-e.pdf
December 2011
(...)
In Canada, education falls under provincial jurisdiction. Section 93 of the
Constitution Act, 1867, states that [i]n and for each Province the Legislature
may exclusively make Laws in relation to Education. As a result, each
province and territory is responsible for organizing, delivering and evaluating
education within its borders, from primary to post-secondary levels. However,
pursuant to section 91 of the Constitution, the federal government is responsible
for the education of First Nations people on reserve, members of the armed
forces and their families, and inmates of federal correctional institutions,
among others.

The federal governments role for primary and secondary education is
limited to these specific groups (e.g., education of First Nations on reserve),
but is more flexible with regard to PSE. For example, the federal government
is involved in PSE by indirectly funding the provincial PSE systems through
transfer payments, financing research through granting councils, and supporting
students through the Canada Student Loans Program. Federal involvement in
PSE is based on the governments significant responsibility for national
economic policy, human resource development and citizens mobility between
provinces.

The 2007 federal Budget restructured the Canada
Social Transfer to provide equal per capita cash support to provinces and
territories, effective 2007-08; similar changes to be made to the Canada Health
Transfer effective 2014-15, when its current legislation is renewed.Source:
History of the Health and Social Transfershttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/his-eng.asp

-------------------------

The Canada Social Transfer: Retrospect
and Prospect (Word 2007 file - 242K, 15 pages)http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net//CST_2011.docx
By James Gauthier
14 July 2011
The structure of major federal transfers for provincial/territorial social
programs has undergone significant changes over the years, primarily in response
to the desire among provincial/territorial governments for greater flexibility
and federal concerns over rising costs. This paper provides an overview of
how federal support for social programs is provided to provinces and territories
today through the CST, and how this fiscal arrangement has evolved over time,
including its associated accountability mechanisms. The paper concludes with
a presentation of some likely key issues for renewal of the CST, along with
a description of the process of FPT negotiations for major federal transfers,
as well as an example of a more targeted federal transfer to provinces and
territories in support of housing and homelessness.

-----
NOTE : The above file hasn't been posted to the Parliamentary Research website
as at February 6, 2012.
It was sent to me by a newsletter subscriber to share with other social researchers.Gilles
-----

The Canada Social Transfer (CST) is the primary
federal contribution in support of provincial programs related to post-secondary
education, social assistance and social services, and programs for children
in Canada. This short paper offers an overview of the Canada Social Transfer
(CST) that includes the amounts payable to provinces and territories in cash
transfers from 20042005 to 20132014, along with information on
related tax point transfers and associated equalization. It also includes
information on the change in the CST Formula since 2007-2008 and the impact
of that change.

Canada Social Transferhttp://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/cst-eng.asp
(...) The CST is calculated on an equal per capita cash basis to reflect the
Governments commitment to ensure that general-purpose transfers provide
equal support for all Canadians. Prior to that, the CST was calculated on
an equal per capita basis combining the value of both tax and cash transfers.

1 Health and the Constitution Act, 1867
2 The Criminal Law Power
3 The Federal Spending Power
4 Peace, Order and Good Government
5 Other Federal Responsibilities that Bear on Health
Selected Bibliography

January 27, 2012Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces, 1978-79
to 2002-2003This link will take you further down on the page you're now reading to
a collection of links to historical statistics on a wide range of social programs,
including the Canada Assistance Plan .
Parts of the Human Resources and Skills Development website were updated late
in 2011, which led to the loss of some important content, notably this report
containing 25 years' worth of valuable social security stats.

---

The Canada Health Transfer:
Changes to Provincial Allocations HTML versionhttp://parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2011-02-e.htmPDF version (PDF - 170K, 12 pages)http://parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2011-02-e.pdf25 February 2011
By James Gauthier
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of recent and expected
changes to the Canada Health Transfer (CHT), and to determine the impacts
of these changes on by-province allocations over time. The paper begins by
providing background information on the composition and calculation of the
CHT, follows with an explanation of changes to the CHT introduced since Budget
2007 and Budget 2009, and ends with an analysis of the impacts of expected
changes to the CHT in 20142015.

Harper Government announces major new
investment in health careFederal health care funding will
increase from $30 billion in 2013-14 to $38 billion in 2018-19http://www.fin.gc.ca/n11/11-141-eng.aspNews Release
December 19, 2011
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced a major
new investment in health care. The new investment in health care will see
funding grow to record levels from $30 billion per year in 2013-14 to $38
billion per year in 2018-19, for a total investment of $178 billion in health
care over the five-year period. (...) From 2006-07
to 2011-12, support provided through the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) to the
provinces and territories in Canada has reached record highs, increasing by
almost $7 billion, or nearly 34 per cent overall. Todays announcement
means federal support for health care will now continue to grow every year
beyond the record levels the federal government has already invested.

* Backgrounder on 2012-13 major transfer
amountshttp://www.fin.gc.ca/n11/data/11-141_2-eng.asp
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced a major
new investment in health care. The new investment in health care will see
funding grow to record levels from $30 billion per year in 2013-14 to $38
billion per year in 2018-19, for a total investment of $178 billion in health
care over the five-year period.

"In recognition of the growing public demand
for comprehensive information on provincial and territorial social assistance
programs and caseloads, the Social Assistance Statistical Report: 2008 is
the fifth annual joint publication by federal, provincial and territorial
governments. The report provides a general overview of social assistance in
Canada, as well as a description of income support-related/social assistance
programs in each jurisdiction. This report does not include social assistance
rates as this information is currently available to the public on most provincial
and territorial government Web sites."
(Excerpt from Chapter 1 - Summary)

NOTE: Chapter Two of the report is a seven-page
descriptive overview of social assistance in Canada in 2008, comprising a
(very) brief history of federal social assistance since 1966 and general information
about how welfare works in Canadian provinces and territories (including the
treatment of federal child benefits under welfare programs, welfare eligibility
conditions and administrative rules, etc.). Other chapters of the report provide,
for each province and territory, information on eligibility (including asset
and income exemption levels) and benefits (but no actual benefit levels),
as well as an impressive number of statistical tables, graphs and charts providing
numbers of cases and beneficiaries (time series statistics going back as far
as the mid-1990s, depending on the jurisdiction), profile information (age/education/sex
of household head, cases by reason for assistance) and even (for most jurisdictions)
the percentage of households reporting income.

"Social Assistance
Statistical Report: 2008" is online, but not on the HRSDC
website. The above links point to a copy of the report that was archived by
the Internet Archive. Thanks for
nothing, HRSDC.

The Internet Archive also contains the earlier
versions of this statistical report:

Tory
welfare wait period could be costly
June 1, 2011
A Progressive Conservative election promise to enact a one-year waiting before
new Ontario arrivals can collect welfare could cost the province millions
in federal transfer payments. Included in the
Ontario Tories' platform unveiled last week is a plan to make welfare
applicants "show a promise to Ontario" by living in the province
for a year before they are eligible. Ontarians will go to the polls in an
Oct. 6 provincial election.
(...)
Federal law stipulates that Ottawa can cut transfer payments to a province
that imposes any kind of time limit before people are eligible for welfare.
Ontario receives $4.46 billion a year from the Canada Social Transfer, which
provides support to provinces across a number of different areas, including:
- Post-secondary education.
- Social assistance and social services.
- Early childhood development.
- Early learning and childcare.
It's not clear exactly how much of that funding could be affected by a potential
one-year residency welfare prerequisite.
Hudak said he is not worried his plan will cost the province money. "To
me it's an important value as Ontarians that if you're going to go on the
welfare rolls, you should at least live in our province for a year,"
he said.

Federal
[social spending] Caps and Cuts, 1972-1995
- excerpt from a report by the Parliamentary Library (includes a link
to the original report)
"(...) the federal government has, since at least the mid-seventies,
been engaged in what has been widely portrayed as a retreat from the
social policy role established during the immediate post-war period."
- incl. major milestones

INTRODUCTION

From 1966-67 to 1995-96, the Canada Assistance
Plan (CAP) was the funding mechanism that s pelled out the specific details
of the federal government's financial contributions to the cost of provincial
and territorial ("P/T") social assistance and social services. In
April 1996, the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) replaced
CAP as the vehicle for federal transfers for to P/T governments for social
programs. The formula for federal contributions changed from federal-provincial
cost-sharing (50-50) to a block fund that now included health insurance and
post-secondary program costs. Eight years later (starting in April 2004),
federal transfer payments to provinces and territories for health services
were transferred to the new Canada Health Transfer, while those for
post-secondary education and social assistance and services went under the
new Canada Social Transfer.

This
page of links started with a few CAP documents that I thought worth preserving
and sharing, and it's since grown to include a number of pieces of historical
information on welfare in Canada. The CAP/CHST/CHT/CST page focuses more on the
federal government's role over time in Canadian welfare policy; you'll have to
visit the Welfare Reforms in Canada page of this site
for P/T perspectives on the evolution of welfare in Canada.

NOTES:
1. Most of this page is organized in chronological order, that is,
the oldest material is at the top of the page. The exception to this
is the post-CHST section, which is in reverse
order, i.e., the most recent info is at the top of the section.
2. Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Medicare
Debate in Canada Links page for all links to info concerning federal
contributions to provincial-territorial health care costs and fiscal
imbalance between the two levels of government.
3. For information about the outcome of the
Gosselin case and other court cases that had an impact on CAP (e.g.,
James Finlay), go to the Canadian Social Research Links Case
Law / Court Decisions / Inquests page
4. Select a subject from the list below or scroll down to view the
whole collection.

Under The Constitution Act:
" Exclusive Powers of Provincial Legislatures:
Subjects of exclusive Provincial Legislation
s.92. In each Province the Legislature may exclusively make Laws in relation
to Matters coming within the Classes of Subjects next hereinafter enumerated;
that is to say,
(...)
----- s.92(7). The Establishment, Maintenance, and Management of Hospitals,
Asylums, Charities, and Eleemosynary Institutions in and for the Province, other
than Marine Hospitals."
(...)NOTE: This consolidation contains the text of the Constitution
Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act, 1867), together with amendments
made to it since its enactment, and the text of the Constitution Act, 1982,
as amended since its enactment.Source of
the above excerpt:http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-5.html#anchorbo-ga:s_91-gb:s_92
[ http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/
]

------------

The Spending Power

The concept of a federal "spending power"
is a relatively recent constitutional development. It arises from federal government
initiatives immediately following the Second World War, and is closely linked
with efforts to centralize the taxing power.(1) By providing program funds for
a variety of health, education and social development programs, either unilaterally
or in co-operation with the provinces, the federal government substantially
altered Canadas approach to issues that were essentially within provincial
jurisdiction.

The spending power thus became the main lever
of federal influence in fields that are legislatively within provincial jurisdiction,
such as health care, education, welfare, manpower training and regional development.
By making financial contributions to specified provincial programs, the federal
government could influence provincial policies and program standards.
Source:
Parliamentary Research [dead link]

---

Canada's constitution divides law making power
between the Parliament of Canada and provincial legislatures. This is the essence
of Canadian federalism. The division of legislative powers is done mainly by
secs. 91-5 of the Constitution Act, 1867. The language of these sections is
quite broad, using phrases like "Trade and Commerce," "Property
and Civil Rights" and "Generally all Matters of a merely local or
private Nature". In some cases the language granting law making power is
antique - "Asylums" and Eleemosynary Institutions," for example.
Still, in responding to a challenge that a particular law is beyond the constitutional
power of either Parliament or a provincial legislature, a court must consult
secs. 91-5 - even if they are antique and not precise, for they are the main
sources by which law making power is given to Canadian legislatures.
Source:http://www.uottawa.ca/constitutional-law/pith.html

Canada's
Unique Social HistoryThis is a comprehensive online introduction to social welfare
and social work that anyone interested in the history of social programs in
Canada should bookmark. The site comprises hundreds of pages of text, audio-visual
material and links to more information. Prepare to spend hours - I did.This is a must-visit site with something for everyone with
an interest in Canadian social programs.This site is the creation of Steven Hick, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor, School of Social Work of Carleton University in Ottawa.The project was funded by Heritage Canada.

Poor Laws
(England, 17th Century)
"The history
of the English poor laws is often divided into the Old Poor Law and the New Poor
Law  the watershed between them being the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.
Not everything changed in 1834, however. One important and complex piece of poor
law legislation which originated in 1662, and which did not finally disappear
until 1948, was the Settlement Act."Source:The Workhouse

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CANADA ASSISTANCE
PLAN for the year ended March 31, 1968
- the full 16-page report presented to Parliament - includes information on
the background, objectives, main features, application and administration of
the Plan - a collector's item, scanned from the original. This report also offers
some historical perspectives on welfare programs going back to the Old Age
Pensions Act of 1927.

The Evolution of the Canada Assistance
Plan (CAP)1985By John E. Osborne
This is a copy of the 21-page Appendix to the 1985 Nielsen Task Force report
on the Canada Assistance Plan. It's an insider's view of the first 20
years of CAP and its historical precedents. It was written by an official of
the federal Department of Health and Welfare (the "home" of CAP) at the time,
it includes a gold mine of historical information on Canadian social programs
of last resort in the twentieth century.

"No
sooner had CAP been launched than the Minister of Finance proposed, in September
1966, that it be terminated. In a statement to the Tax Structure Committee, he
offered to terminate it as of March 31, 1970, and to replace it with a combination
of tax abatement, equalization payments and adjustment grants unrelated to program
costs." From The Evolution
of the Canada Assistance Plan By John E. Osborne, in the Nielsen Task Force
Report on CAP (1985)

The
Canada Assistance Plan: A Twenty Year Assessment, l966-l986 (~23 printed
pages with graphs and tables)Allan MoscovitchCarleton UniversityJanuary 1988This excellent critical analysis of CAP's first twenty years provides
detailed information about programs that preceded CAP and about the inner workings
of the administration of CAP.

Canada Assistance Plan
-- (Consolidation up to S.C. 1996, c. 11)
CHAPTER C-1 (Repealed March 31, 2000)
Thanks to Vincent Calderhead for graciously donating his copy of the statute
to share with other visitors to this site.

NOTE: Like the Canada Pension Plan, the Canada Assistance Plan
is not only the name of the program but also the official title of the statute.
It's incorrect to refer to the CAP statute as the CAP Act.
According to s.1 of the CAP statute, "This Act may be cited as the
Canada Assistance Plan."

CHAPTER 17 (Bill C-76), Statutes of 1995An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament
on February 27, 1995[dead link]- incl. provisions for the winding-down of the Canada Assistance Plan (section
30 foll.) and the startup of the Canada Health and Social Transfer (section
48)
Source:
Canadian Legal Information Institute

s.13. (1) Subject to this Part, a Canada Health and
Social Transfer established under paragraphs 14(a), (b) and (e) to (g)
is to be provided to the provinces for the purposes of(a) financing social programs in a manner that
provides provincial flexibility;
(b) maintaining the national criteria and conditions in the Canada Health
Act, including those respecting public administration, comprehensiveness,
universality, portability and accessibility, and the provisions relating
to extra-billing and user charges;
(c) maintaining the national standard, set out in section 19, that no
period of minimum residency be required or allowed with respect to social
assistance; and
(d) promoting any shared principles and objectives that are developed,
pursuant to subsection (3), with respect to the operation of social
programs, other than a program for the purpose referred to in paragraph
(b).

s.18. In sections 19 to 23,
"Minister" means the Minister of Human Resources Development;
" social assistance " means aid in any form to or in respect
of a person in need.

s.19. (1) In order that a province
may qualify for a full cash contribution under subsection 15(1) for
a fiscal year, the laws of the province must not

(a) require or allow a period of residence in the
province or Canada to be set as a condition of eligibility for social
assistance or for the receipt or continued receipt thereof; or
(b) make or allow the amount, form or manner of social assistance
to be contingent upon a period of such residence.

Exception

(2) The criteria in subsection (1) are not contravened
by a requirement of a health insurance plan of a province of a minimum
period of residence in the province or waiting period that does not
contravene paragraph 11(1)(a) of the Canada Health Act.

PART V.1
CANADA HEALTH TRANSFER, CANADA SOCIAL TRANSFER AND HEALTH REFORM TRANSFER
(sections 24-25.8)
[NOTE: Part V.1 was added to this statute by section 8 of Chapter 15,
Statutes of 2003](...)
Canada Social Transfer

24.3 (1) Subject to this Part, a Canada Social Transfer
in the amounts referred to in subsection 24.4(1) is to be provided to
the provinces for the purposes of
(a) financing social programs in a manner that provides provincial flexibility;
(b) maintaining the national standard, set out in subsection 25.1(1),
that no period of minimum residency be required or allowed with respect
to social assistance; and
(c) promoting any shared principles and objectives that are developed
under subsection (2) with respect to the operation of social programs.

(2) The Minister of Human Resources Development shall
invite representatives of all the provinces to consult and work together
to develop, through mutual consent, a set of shared principles and objectives
for social programs that could underlie the Canada Social Transfer.

Definition of "social programs"

(3) In this section, "social programs" includes
programs in respect of post-secondary education, social assistance and
social services, including early childhood development, and early learning
and child care services.

(...)

24.9 The following definitions apply in sections 25
to 25.5.

"Minister" means the Minister of Human Resources
Development.

"social assistance" means aid in any form
to or in respect of a person in need.

25.1 (1) In order that a province may qualify for a
full cash contribution (...) for a fiscal year, the laws of the province
must not(a) require or allow a period of residence in
the province or Canada to be set as a condition of eligibility for social
assistance or for the receipt or continued receipt of social assistance;
or(b) make or allow the amount, form or manner
of social assistance to be contingent on a period of such residence.

Exception

(2) The criteria in subsection (1) are not contravened
by a requirement of a health insurance plan of a province of a minimum
period of residence in the province or waiting period that does not
contravene paragraph 11(1)(a) of the Canada Health Act.

Social
Assistance Statistical Report: 2008[Posted online July 2011]
[ PDF version (608K, 141 pages) : http://www.wellington.ca/en/socialservices/resources/SocialAssistanceStatisticalReport2008.pdf
]
Produced by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Directors of Income SupportThis report includes a description of, and statistics related to, the welfare
system in each province and territory, information about federal-provincial-territorial
jurisdictional and funding issues, a bit of historical info on the Canada Assistance
Plan and the Canada Health and Social Transfer, etc.
Produced by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Directors of Income SupportThis report includes a description of, and statistics
related to, the welfare system in each province and territory, information about
federal-provincial-territorial jurisdictional and funding issues, a bit of historical
info on the Canada Assistance Plan and the Canada Health and Social Transfer,
etc.

"In recognition of the growing public demand
for comprehensive information on provincial and territorial social assistance
programs and caseloads, the Social Assistance Statistical Report: 2008 is the
fifth annual joint publication by federal, provincial and territorial governments.
The report provides a general overview of social assistance in Canada, as well
as a description of income support-related/social assistance programs in each
jurisdiction. This report does not include social assistance rates as this information
is currently available to the public on most provincial and territorial government
Web sites."
(Excerpt from Chapter 1 - Summary)

NOTE: Chapter Two of the report is a seven-page
descriptive overview of social assistance in Canada in 2008, comprising a (very)
brief history of federal social assistance since 1966 and general information
about how welfare works in Canadian provinces and territories (including the
treatment of federal child benefits under welfare programs, welfare eligibility
conditions and administrative rules, etc.). Other chapters of the report provide,
for each province and territory, information on eligibility (including asset
and income exemption levels) and benefits (but no actual benefit levels), as
well as an impressive number of statistical tables, graphs and charts providing
numbers of cases and beneficiaries (time series statistics going back as far
as the mid-1990s, depending on the jurisdiction), profile information (age/education/sex
of household head, cases by reason for assistance) and even (for most jurisdictions)
the percentage of households reporting income.

"Social Assistance Statistical Report:
2008" is online, but not on the HRSDC website. The above
links point to a copy of the report that was archived by the Internet
Archive. Thanks for nothing, HRSDC.

The Internet Archive also contains the earlier versions
of this statistical report:

It's great to see the 2007 edition of this report
online, but the numbers in this report *are* over three years old --- none of
the welfare ripple effects of the economic disaster of 2008 and 2009 are evident
in the March 2007 stats in this report. This really isn't timely enough to help
in the policy formulation process, nor is it timely enough to ensure accountability
with respect to spending by federal, provincial and territorial governments
on Canada's social assistance programs.

So why are timely welfare statistics important?
To tell, among other things, how many new welfare cases are "EI exhaustees"
(households whose Employment Insurance benefit period has expired) and how many
are there because they didn't qualify for EI in the first place. Welfare reporting
must be comprehensive AND reasonably current.
Perhaps it's time to farm out the production of welfare statistics and related
information to an objective, non-politicized third party...

Social
Assistance in Canada, 1994 (Internet Archive)
--- * Also available from the Government
of Canada Web Archive:http://goo.gl/au93G
Over 40 pages of information on Canadian social assistance programs as they
operated in 1994. Much of the information in this document is still as relevant
today as it was back then - eligibility, benefits, administrative rules, and
more. Includes information about cost-sharing of welfare costs under the Canada
Assistance Plan. Question-and-answer format for quick reference. This work was
part of a larger study of social assistance in 24 countries released by the
OECD early in 1996. I was the author of this report, with a lot of input from
a number of colleagues in the Department at the time. If you want a snapshot
of what welfare was like in Canada before the Canada Health and Social Transfer
in 1996, this is a pretty decent one - and it's free.

NOTE: Since January 2012, this report
is no longer available on the website of Human Resources and Skills
Development (HRSDC) or its successor, Employment and Social Development
Canada (ESDC). This report and many others were moved to the web archive
collection at Library and Archives Canada (LAC).

[By Gilles, March 1, 2014]

-------------------------------------------

This report is a goldmine of statistical information
(beneficiary data and expenditure data) on current and defunct
Canadian federal social programs, and even some on provincial/territorial
programs.

This report offers 25 years of longitudinal data on
costs and numbers of beneficiaries for most programs - over 100 tables
- covering a large number of programs --- here's a partial list:- Child Tax Benefit, Family Allowances, the Child Tax Credit, Old
Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement/Spouse's Allowance ("The
Allowance"), Federal Training and Employment Programs, Federal
Goods and Services Tax Credit, the Canada/Quebec Pension Plans, War
Veterans' and Civilian War Allowances, Veterans' and Civilians' Disability
Pensions, Unemployment/Employment Insurance, the Canada Assistance Plan,
Workers' Compensation, Youth Allowances, Social Assistance and Social
Services for Registered Indians --- and more...

---------------------------

NOTE : All links below are functional.
Click any link and you'll find the desired content on the website of
Archive.org

Many of the tables are historical and likely of little
interest except to historians and CAP-o-philes --- they offer historical
caseload and expenditure statistics on each of the CAP cost-sharing
components (General Assistance - Homes for Special Care for Children
and Adults - Child Welfare - Health Care - Other Welfare Services and
Work Activity).

You'll find many key stats tables and some interesting
analyses here - only a few of which appear below
- includes links to over two dozen tables (Tables 352-911) with
info on federal contributions under the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP)
and the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) to the cost
of provincial and territorial welfare programs.
NOTE: for more info about CAP, the CHST and the Canada Social Transfer
(CST, which replaced the CHST in April 2004), see the Canada Assistance
Plan / Canada Health and Social Transfer / Canada Social Transfer Resources
page of this site:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/cap.htm

A few sample tables:

Table 360
Total Federal-Provincial Cost-Shared Program Expenditures, 1978-79 to
1999-2000http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab360.shtml
NOTE: Table 360 traces the evolution/devolution of transfers under the
Canada Assistance Plan (in dollars) from 1976 to 1999. No new claims
were paid out under CAP after the Canada Health and Social Transfer
came into effect in April 1996; amounts shown as CAP expenditures for
the fiscal years after 1995-96 are final settlements with each jurisdiction
for all outstanding commitments by the federal government.

Table 362
Total Federal-Provincial Cost-Shared Expenditures for General Assistance,
by Province/Territory, 1978-79 to 1995-96http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab362.shtml
- this table should be of special interest for welfare historians and
number-crunchers - it shows exactly when Canadian government spending
on welfare (by the federal and provincial/territorial governments) started
looking a little fuzzier. When the feds imposed the cap on CAP (max.
5% annual increase in total CAP payments) in Ontario, Alberta and BC
in the early 1990s, those three provinces stopped reporting how much
of their CAP dollars were going to welfare (vs. other CAP components
covered under the same federal contribution). Table 362 shows that as
of 1991-92, the federal contribution to those three provinces for General
Assistance appears as "n/a" - so it's been impossible to produce
a national figure since then. Unless, of course, one wanders over into
the minefield of provincial government welfare statistics, where welfare
programs (and related expenditures) have undergone a major transformation.
If you *do* want to check out welfare stats for each Canadian jurisdiction,
your best starting point is the Key Welfare Links Page of this website
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/welfare.htm
- which includes links to welfare stats in each province and territory
where they're available.

Historical
Statistics of Canada (2nd edition, 1983)
Jointly produced by the Social Science Federation of Canada and Statistics Canada
Go to the home page and browse the table of contents of this excellent historical
resource. Tables are arranged in sections with an introduction explaining the
content of each section, the principal sources of data for each table, and general
explanatory notes regarding the statistics. This online statistical collection
complements and expands on Human Resources Development Canada's Social Security
Statistics, Canada and Provinces report.
Source:
Statistics Canada

Historical Statistics of Canada contains links to over 1,000
statistical tables (downloadable in Excel format) on the social, economic and
institutional conditions of Canada from the start of the Confederation in 1867
to the mid-1970s. It's worth downloading the freeExcel
97/2000 Spreadsheet File Viewer from Microsoft if you don't have Excel software
on your machine.

Here's a sample section:

Section
C: Social Security - by T. Russell Robinson, Health and Welfare Canada
Contains seven pages of historical information on the evolution of Canadian social
programs, plus links to over 180 tables organized under the following headings:
Federal Income Security Programs - Federal and Provincial Income Insurance Programs
- Cost-shared Federal-Provincial Income Security Programs - Federal and Provincial
Social Service Programs - Provincial-Municipal Income Security Programs - Government
Expenditures on Social Security by Broad Program Areas. Unfortunately, the section
on the Canada Assistance Plan provides stats only from 1970 to 1975, but you'll
find other historical gems here, like federal transfers to the provinces and territories,
1947 to 1975, Unemployment insurance account, 1942 to 1976, Old Age Pensions recipients
for Canada and by province, March 1928 to 1951, and much more...
Great collection of historical Canadian social program stats!

Some social
advocates speak widely about rights under CAP that were lost with the CHST and
rampant workfare in Canada. It is true that governments have gotten meaner
and leaner. But there is some confusion between "rights under CAP" and conditions
for federal-provincial-territorial cost-sharing of approved social programs.

Most of what is called workfare today in Canada is actually a
combination of tighter welfare eligibility criteria, benefit cuts, a broadening
of the definition of an "employable" person and more stringent enforcement of
rules regarding reciprocity that existed even before CAP (and continue to exist
today).

The Preamble to the Canada Assistance Plan
(1966) reads as follows:"WHEREAS the Parliament
of Canada, recognizing that the provision of adequate assistance to and in respect
of persons in need and the prevention and removal of the causes of poverty and
dependence on public assistance are the concern of all Canadians, is desirous
of encouraging the further development and extension of assistance and welfare
services programs throughout Canada by sharing more fully with the provinces in
the cost thereof; (...) enacts (...) the Canada Assistance Plan."

The
statute itself and its Regulations focus on the logistics (definitions, exclusions,
formulae, etc.) of the federal-provincial/territorial cost-sharing agreement in
the areas of social assistance and a number of welfare services.

The CAP statute does not confer any rights to Canadian
citizens in need.

This is because the CAP statute
was a legislative mechanism that provided a framework for federal social transfers
to provinces and territories. The CAP program itself was much more than
the sum of its legislative parts, of course - it represented the federal government's
commitment of financial support to the lower levels of government towards the
improvement of social programs of last resort and the expansion of a number of
social services across Canada starting in the mid- to late 60s.

NOTE: The CCPI submission includes information on welfare
case law in a number of jurisdictions that you definitely won't find elsewhere
- dealing with the right to social assistance, adequacy of social assistance benefits,
provincial contravention of national "standards" under CAP, sections 7 and 15
of the Charter of Rights, etc.Source : Charter
Committee on Poverty Issues

Conditions for Cost-Sharing under CAP

What
social advocates often refer to as "rights" under CAP were in fact conditions
set by the federal government for provinces and territories to qualify for 50%
reimbursement of approved social expenditures. (The "cap on CAP" changed this
financial relationship with the three richest provinces in 1990-91 - see the next
section below.)

There were three such conditions, as well
as one administrative requirement, for a Canadian province or territory to qualify
for cost-sharing from the federal government. They were as follows.- An applicant's eligibility for assistance had to be solely based
on a test that "takes into account the budgetary requirements (...) and the
income and resources available to [that] person to meet those requirements",
and no other condition (e.g. work-for-welfare could not be a condition of initial
eligibility),- An appeal system had to be published
as part of the jurisdiction's social assistance legislation, and appeal
information conveyed to all applicants,- No residency
requirement in Canada or in a particular province or territory could be imposed
as a condition of eligibility for social assistance applicants, and- Program information and statistics had to be provided to federal
authorities for the administration of CAP (caseloads, expenditures, program changes,
etc.)

A common misconception of many social researchers
and advocacy groups about CAP revolves around "the right to receive welfare without
having to work for it..."

In fact, reciprocity was always
an inherent aspect of CAP and the social assistance programs that it funded at
50%, at least for employable people.

The "right to welfare
without work" argument is correct only in the narrow sense, with respect to initial
eligibility. Any province or territory that wanted to qualify for 50% cost-sharing
under CAP had to agree to determine eligibility for assistance on the sole basis
of a test of financial need and no other condition. CAP prevented the provinces
and territories from saying to a welfare applicant: "If you want this welfare
cheque, you have to work X number of hours at this particular job."

Workfare
or Work Activity Projects?

There's
a popular misconception about the legislative authority for the no-workfare rule
under CAP. Section 15(3) of the Canada Assistance Plan is often cited as the source
for this cost-sharing condition. ("Every agreement made pursuant to this
section shall (a) provide that no person shall be denied assistance because he
refuses or has refused to take part in a work activity project"). In fact,
section 15 is under Part III of the CAP statute, entitled Work Activity Projects.

Here's what the Appendix
to the 1985 Nielsen report on CAP says about the work activity project component
of CAP: "Part III made provision for sharing in the
costs of work activity programs - sheltered work programs designed to increase
a person's capacity to take advantage of employment-oriented programs, or to provide
socially useful work for unemployable persons."

Work
activity projects never really played a mainstream role in SA - CAP spending in
this area never reached $9 million/yr. even when total CAP spending almost topped
the $8 billion/yr. mark, because Work Activity Projects was a very small segment
of the caseload covered under CAP - unemployable persons in sheltered work programs.

The legislative authority
for the no-workfare rule is section 6(2).

"An
agreement shall provide that the province (a) will provide financial aid or
other assistance to or in respect of any person in the province who is a person
in need described in paragraph (a) of the definition of "person in need"
in section 2, in an amount or manner that takes into account the basic requirements
of that person;(b) will, in determining whether a person
is a person described in paragraph (a) and the assistance to be provided to that
person, take into account the budgetary requirements of that person and the income
and resources available to that person to meet those requirements; (...)"

In plain English:

- in order to qualify for federal sharing under
CAP, a province or territory had to provide financial aid or other assistance
to any "person in need" - defined in section 2 of the CAP statute as
"...a person who, by reason of inability to obtain employment, loss of the
principal family provider, illness, disability, age or other cause of any kind
acceptable to the provincial authority, is found to be unable, on the basis of
a test established by the provincial authority that takes into account the budgetary
requirements of that person and the income and resources available to that person
to meet those requirements, to provide adequately for himself, or for himself
and his dependants or any of them"]

- for CAP
purposes, the definition also included a child in need of protection and a deceased
person (i.e., the federal authority would share 50% of the cost of approved child
welfare services and the cost of funerals and burials of indigent people.)

-
the province/territory had to provide assistance on the basis of any budget deficit
between the person's non-exempted financial resources and his needs (including
those of his dependants). Initial eligibility had to be based solely on the needs
test, and it could not include a mandatory undertaking on the part of the applicant
to work for his basic benefits. The principle of reciprocity was, however, encouraged
[and even enforced] by CAP. A province could say "now that you've qualified
on the basis of the needs test, you must, as a condition of *continuing* eligibility,
accept any reasonable offer of employment or opportunities to improve your employability."
Of course, the operative word there is "reasonable" --- since the demise
of CAP, that's become a moot point, because the more conservative provinces have
had successful caseload purges based on the American Work-First approach, and
'reasonable' now means "whatever gets you off the system"...

However,
all Canadian jurisdictions' social assistance legislation contained continuing
eligibility criteria, conditions that clients had to respect to stay eligible
for welfare. In the case of employable people, that included the obligation
to accept any reasonable offer of work, training or academic upgrading that was
offered by the government authority, or to be actively looking for work otherwise.

For at least the last 40 years, every Canadian jurisdiction's
social assistance regulations have provided for the suspension, cancellation,
reduction or refusal of benefits where an employable client refuses to participate
in one of the measures listed above. These penalties vary from one jurisdiction
to another, and they all remain in force into the 21st century.

Across
Canada, sanctions apply to any employable person who is unwilling to participate
in a formal (signed) "action plan" or other similar type of contract between that
person and the provincial/territorial government. That plan or contract might
include any or all of remedial education, training, job preparation and
even job placement. Refusal to participate in any measure that is
deemed to be in the person's best interests can result in refusal of assistance
or lower benefits. This has always been the standard for welfare programs in Canada,
except during periods of economic downturn when a provincial government might
relax its reciprocity requirements. The rationale for this relaxation of the rules
is pretty common-sense, to wit: there's no point in requiring employable welfare
clients to submit a predetermined minimum number of job applications each month
(to remain eligible for welfare) during a period when employers just aren't hiring
because of a slowdown in the Canadian economy.

There
is a fundamental difference between the reciprocity condition that was inherent
in programs under CAP and workfare - it's the extent of compulsion. CAP
supported provincial rules that required employable people on welfare to do something
to help themselves. That could involve participating in an activity to improve
their employability, like going back to school, participating in a training program
or even working in a job placement or apprenticeship. It might also involve actively
looking for a job. In the latter case, CAP even tolerated provincial rules requiring
proof of job search efforts by clients. What CAP did not support was workfare
in its traditional sense - the requirement to work for a specific number of hours
in a designated job for basic welfare benefits.

Patricia
Evans' article in the 1995 book entitled Workfare: Does it Work? Is it Fair?
from the Institute for Research on Public Policy
provides a thorough analysis of work-for-welfare provisions in Canadian welfare
programs. It's based largely on a questionnaire completed by government welfare
administrators in each jurisdiction. This is an excellent source of information
on how sanctions were imposed in each province and territory under CAP cost-shared
programs when an employable applicant or recipient refused to participate in employability
measure and job search requirements.The Canadian Welfare
Reforms page of this site includes A
few words about workfare, which examines the difference between formal
and de facto workfare.

In 1990, the
federal government, in order to reduce the federal budget deficit, decided to
cut expenditures and limit the growth of payments made to financially stronger
provinces under the Canada Assistance Plan. In a nutshell, the federal government
imposed a ceiling (or "cap") of 5% on expenditures under the Canada
Assistance Plan to Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, the three Canadian provinces
not receiving federal Equalization payments. In other words, the annual increase
in the total CAP payment to each those three provinces could not increase more
than 5% per year. The 1990 federal budget set the measure in place for a two-year
period and the 1991 budget extended the period for a further three years, until
the end of 1994-95. BC challenged the unilateral federal action in court.

The 1991
Supreme Court of Canada 'cap on CAP' Court decision is a detailed account
of the BC court challenge to the federal government's unilateral imposition
of an annual ceiling on federal contributions to provinces for social programs
under the Canada Assistance Plan. It contains the best information I've found
anywhere about the background, both the federal and BC positions, and the Supreme
Court ruling. In short, the Supreme Court rules in favour of the principle of
parliamentary sovereignty reflected in s. 42(1) of the federal Interpretation
Act, which states that "Every Act [including the Canada Assistance Plan...]
shall be construed as to reserve to Parliament the power of repealing or amending
it...".

The 1994 Social Security Review

In 1994, the federal government launched a national Social
Security Review (SSR). A number of papers were released before the review wound
down after the 1995 federal budget. If you go to a municipal
or university library, you should be able to find a collection comprising a discussion
paper and about five or six supplementary papers released in the months that followed.
These supplementary papers offer a wealth of information on unemployment/employment
insurance reform, employability in the 90s, families and children, persons with
disabilities, and other topics.The main discussion paper
and four of the supplementary papers appear below...

Improving
Social Security in Canada : A Discussion Paper October 1994
(212K, 61 pages)Improving Social Security in Canada is the
main document of the 1994 Social Security Review. It deals with the following
issues : the need for reform, working: jobs in a new economy, learning: making
lifelong learning a way of life, and security: building
opportunity for people in need . The section entitled "Security:
Building opportunity for people in need" focuses on the federal government's
role in Canadian social security programs in 1994-95 and proposed reform options.
(Click on the title of the report, then scroll down the page to the table of contents
to find the Security section) Here's what you'll find in the security section:
Introduction - What the federal government does now - The Canada Assistance Plan
(CAP) - The Child Tax Benefit - The need for CAP reform - The goals for reform
- Approaches to reform - Possible first steps - Longer-term approaches to reform

1994(111K, 25 pages)This paper is an important resource for the study of the National
Child Benefit and the federal child support initiative. It offers a 1993-94
snapshot of child poverty in Canada and the federal and provincial programs
to assist families with children. It also offers a detailed economist's-eye-view
of three different approaches to reform of the benefits available under those
programs : (1) enhancing and re-targetting child tax benefits; (2) an integrated
federal-provincial benefit; and (3) an enhanced Working Income Supplement. Extensive
analysis of the impact of many options on families in different income brackets,
and of the winners and losers under each of those options...

Establishing
an Effective Social Policy Agenda with Constrained Resourcesby Peter Hicks (1995)- An excellent article written by a senior HRDC official
at the time. It presents some interesting historical information about the evolution
of Canadian social programs from the sixties to the early nineties.- Social historians will be particularly interested in the
author's analysis of the 1994 SSR discussion paper...

Social
Assistance in Canada, 1994* Also available from
the Government of Canada Web Archive:http://goo.gl/au93GThis is an unpublished manuscript that I wrote when I was in the
Social Policy Branch of Human Resources Development Canada early in 1994 in
the context of a study of social assistance in the 24 member countries of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It's a detailed
account of Canadian social assistance policies in place before CAP was replaced
by the CHST. The printed version of the full questionnaire is over 40 pages.

From
the Canada Assistance Plan to the Canada Health and Social Transfer

The February 1995 federal budget announced that federal
payments to provinces and territories would be frozen at the previous year's level
and that the Canada Assistance Plan would be replaced by a block grant the following
April.

The
1995 Budget and Block Funding (PDF file -
178K, 35 pages)
Spring 1995
"This report describes welfare in Canada prior to the birth of the Canada
Assistance Plan and the huge advances that came about because of CAP. It analyzes
the 1995 budget proposals and the disastrous impact they would have on real
people with real needs. It outlines a better alternative for funding welfare
and social services."
["Bluntly put, the proposed Canada Health and Social Transfer is the worst
social policy initiative undertaken by the federal government in more than a
generation." Report, page 26]
Source:National Council of
Welfare (NCW)
NOTE: Search the NCW website for the link to this report; the site was relaunched
in summer 2010...

Canada
Assistance Plan - Chapter 15, 1989 Report of the Auditor General
of Canada- Informative chapter (full text) of the report, concentrating
on the federal administration and delivery of the Canada Assistance Plan. Under
"Monitoring and Verification of Compliance", you will find plenty of information
about federal-provincial CAP cost-sharing conditions.There is also an excellent section on CAP accountability and information
issues.A few quotes to tempt you:- "Difficulties exist as to the definition of adequacy [of
welfare rates]..."- "There are inconsistencies relating to residency requirements..."- "The legislated requirement to produce a CAP annual report
[for Parliament]..."(Note: Under the CHST, there is no legislated requirement for
the federal government to report to Parliament on the effect of its social transfers
on "persons in need" in Canada.)

------------------------

Study
of Key Federal Social Programs - Chapter 6, 1994 Report
of the Auditor General of Canada*- heaps of information on CAP, Unemployment Insurance* The Auditor
General of Canada website has an extensive online library of reports
going back to 1982, many with sections on (or references to) the Canada Assistance
Plan. The two links above are from that list. Scroll down the home page until
you see the complete list of reports by year. You can browse the reports individually,
or just type "Canada Assistance Plan" in the search engine box for a list of
relevant reports (a lot faster).

Benefiting
Canada's Children: Perspectives on Gender and Social Responsibility(PDF) March 1998Christa
Freiler and Judy CernyChild Povery Action Group- 95-page report (+ appendices), explores the causes of poverty
in Canada and the challenges and constraints in addressing poverty and vulnerability
in a post-CHST world.- includes an interesting review
of available information on the National Child Benefit (which was to be implemented
in July 1998) and provincial programs for children in place in early 1998.

No
More! CAP-in-hand: Social Services in a Post-CAP EraReport of the
1996 Social Services Restructuring ConferenceNational
Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)- *This
is an excellent analysis of the social services cuts in each Canadian province
and the changes going on around the introduction of the CHST-
Special focus on social assistance reforms during the transition from CAP to the
CHST

------------------------

The Caledon Institute
of Social Policy has an extensive list of online reports and studies
about the Canada Assistance Plan and the Canada Health and Social Transfer.
To find these quickly, just enter Canada Health and Social Transfer in
the publications search box (the link is in the left-hand column on the
Caledon home page)

Two sample files from Caledon:

How Finance
Re-Formed Social Policy (PDF file)Ken Battle and Sherri Torjman
April 1995"How Finance Re-Formed Social Policy analyzes the implications
of the 1995 federal Budget for social policy. It explores the likely impact of
the Canada Health and Social Transfer on welfare, social services and medicare
that will result from both the substantial loss of funds and the withdrawal of
the Canada Assistance Plan legislative base. Other Budget announcements regarding
the Human Resources Investment Fund, Unemployment Insurance and pensions are also
discussed. The paper places these announcements within the broader context of
the substantial changes to social programs that have been introduced over the
past 10 years by both the Tories and the Liberals, largely through budgetary measures.
The report concludes that the 1995 Budget represents a fundamental turning point
in Canadian social policy that will see a decline in the role and influence of
the federal government in welfare, social services and health care."

The
Dangers of Block Funding (PDF file)Ken Battle and Sherri Torjman
February 1995"The Dangers of Block Funding rings the alarm bell on rumours
that the federal government will replace the Canada Assistance Plans cost-shared
transfers to the provinces for welfare and social services with a mega-block
fund that would combine federal financial support to the provinces for health,
postsecondary education, welfare and social services."

From the
National Council of Welfare (NCW):

---*NOTE :
The National Council of Welfare closed its doors and shut down its website
at the end of September 2012.
For more information, see http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ncw.htm
The links to the three reports below are functional because the files
are copied to my web server.
---

Over the years, the Council has produced many reports
on poverty and welfare, but there are three that stand out in my mind
as milestone reports on the history of welfare in Canada, at least since
the 1980s.

1. 1987Welfare in Canada: The Tangled
Safety Net (PDF - 2.7MB, 131 pages)
November 1987Tangled Safety Net examines the following issues in Canadian
social assistance network of programs:
* Complex rules * Needs-testing * Rates of assistance * Enforcement
* Appeals * Recommendations
This report is the first comprehensive national analysis of social assistance
programs operated by the provincial, territorial and municipal governments.
These programs function as the safety net for Canadians and are better
known by their everyday name welfare.

2. 1992Welfare Reform (PDF
- 2.8MB, 61 pages)
Summer 1992
This report is an update of the 1987 Tangled Safety Net, but
it presents information by jurisdiction rather than by issue - covers
all provinces and territories.

3. 1997Another Look at
Welfare Reform (PDF - 6.75MB, 134 pages)
Autumn 1997
- an in-depth analysis of changes in Canadian welfare programs in the
1990s. The report focuses on the provincial and territorial reforms
that preceded the repeal of the Canada Assistance Plan and those that
followed the implementation of the Canada Health and Social Transfer
in April 1996.
[Proactive disclosure : I did the research for, and wrote the provincial-territorial
section of, this report while I was on a one-year secondment to the
Council. Gilles ]

Source:
National Council of Welfare
Established in 1969, the Council is an advisory group to the Minister
of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (originally the Minister
of Health and Welfare Canada). The mandate of the Council is to advise
the Minister regarding any matter relating to social development that
the Minister may refer to the Council for its consideration or that
the Council considers appropriate.

- Includes an extensive, detailed
overview of income security reforms in Canada in the 1990s, specifically around
the Canada Health and Social Transfer, a review and typology of current research
in virtually every area of federal and provincial/territorial social programs
and a section on the impact of changes since the CHST and related social reforms.
- Recommended reading for anyone looking for information about the critical
forces that have shaped income security programs in Canada and that continue to
do so as we approach the new millennium. - Topics covered include welfare
reforms, the National Child Benefit and child poverty, unemployment/employment
insurance reforms, pension reform and the retirement income system, labour market
policies, the Social Union, income security reforms in the broader context of
social security reform, etc. *The International
Development Research Centre website also includes many links to information
on similar reforms in developing countries "The International Development
Research Centre is a public corporation created by the Canadian government to
help communities in the developing world find solutions to social, economic, and
environmental problems through research." Complete reports online
include the following:

Establishing
an Effective Social Policy Agenda with Constrained Resourcesby
Peter Hicks (1995) - An excellent article written by
a senior HRDC official at the time. It presents some interesting historical information
about the evolution of Canadian social programs from the sixties to the early
nineties. - Social historians will be particularly interested in the
author's analysis of the 1994 SSR discussion paper...

*The
International Development Research Centre
website also includes many links to information on similar reforms in developing
countries "The International Development Research
Centre is a public corporation created by the Canadian government to help communities
in the developing world find solutions to social, economic, and environmental
problems through research."

NOTE: This is a key resource for anyone who wants
to know about federal transfers to provinces and territories for health,
post-secondary education, social assistance (welfare) and social services
(including early childhood development). Federal Transfers to Provinces
and Territories is a permanent and helpful feature of the Department's
website; thanks, Finance Canada folks!
Near the bottom of each page, you'll find the date of the latest update
to that page.

Federal
Transfers to Provinces and Territories
This is the most comprehensive collection of federal government information
you'll find online concerning federal transfers to the provinces and
territories for health, post-secondary education, social assistance
and social services (including early childhood development). From April
1996 until March 2004, federal government contributions for these program
areas were combined in a single block transfer called the Canada Health
and Social Transfer. In April 2004, the CHSt was split into (1) the
Canada Health Transfer, to cover a portion of provincial-territorial
health costs, and (2) the Canada Social Transfer, to cover the rest
of the areas listed in the first sentence in this paragraph

Major
Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories
- transfers to each province and territory, covering the latest five-year
period, for the four major transfer programs: the
Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, Equalization and
Territorial Formula Financing.
The following links are to brief descriptions of each of those transfers.

Canada
Social Transfer
"...a federal block transfer to provinces and territories in support
of post-secondary education, social assistance and social services,
including early childhood development and early learning and childcare"

Federal
Support for Children
- incl. a brief description of, and payment information for, the Universal
Child Care Plan (2006 and 2007), the Early Learning and Child Care Initiative
(2005), the Early Learning and Child Care Framework Agreement (2003),
and the Early Childhood Development Agreement (2000)
NOTE: This list formerly included Support for First Nations and Aboriginal
Children, but this program was cut by the Harper Government.

---

Federal welfare spending factoids:

* In 1995-96, the final year of the Canada Assistance
Plan, Ottawa paid out almost $8 Billion under CAP (see note below).
[ Source
]
*That's $10.5 Billion in 2010 dollars. [
Source
]
* Of that amount, the social assistance portion made up about 80-85%
- or $8 Billion in 2010 dollars. (see
what made up the remaining 15-20%)[Source: none, except my own recollection
of the traditional proportional breakdown of CAP dollars]* For 2010-11, the Canada Social Transfer
(see note below) will reach $11 Billion. [ Source
]
* Of that amount, the social programs portion is estimated by federal
officials to be nearly $6.6 Billion. [ Source
]
NOTE: Amounts paid out specifically for welfare under the Canada Assistance
Plan (CAP) cannot be compared with those under the Canada Social Transfer
(CST) because the latter is a block fund that also covers provincial-territorial
post-secondary education expenditures and early learning and child care.
The federal block fund doesn't stipulate how much of the total amount
must be allocated to each of those areas, so you'll occasionally find
discrepancies between information on welfar4e expenditures for the same
period produced by provincial-territorial governments and reports prepared
by federal officials. The proof's in the pudding : in the last factoid
above, the statement "the social programs portion is estimated
by federal officials to be nearly $6.6 Billion" [bolding added]
is a direct quote from the federal Department of Finance (check the
source link). Ottawa must resort to "notional allocation of federal
support among priority areas" (another quote from the same source)
- notional meaning "our best educated guess based on the trends
that we monitor" rather than relying on provincial government reports
that often allocate amounts differently from the way that the feds do
it. And so the game of numbers goes on.
Accountability?
Transparency?
Ha.

Government
of Canada Support to Provinces and Territories at an All-Time HighDecember 18, 2009
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, announced today that total
transfers to provinces and territories will increase by $2.4 billion in 2010-11,
bringing total federal support to $54.4 billion, the highest level ever. Our
Government is pleased to be providing unprecedented and growing federal transfer
support that will help to provide the services, programs and assistance that
Canadians rely upon, particularly in these difficult economic times, said
Minister Flaherty. Transfers in support of health care and social services
are a top priority for our Government as we transition our economy through the
current challenging economic times. Equalization payments to provinces
for 2010-11 will total $14.4 billion, an increase of $187 million. The overall
program is growing in line with the economy, with provincial amounts reflecting
changes in the ability of provinces to raise revenues.
- includes a table showing Transfer Payments to Provinces and Territories for
2009-2010 and 2010-11.
Source: Department of Finance Canada

NOTES:
1. For all links to info concerning federal contributions to provincial-territorial
health care costs and fiscal imbalance between the two levels of government,
go to the Canadian Social Research Links Medicare Debate
in Canada Links page
2. The content below is generally arranged in reverse chronological order; the
top link is the one most recently added to this page (but not always the most
recent in terms of dates)...

The
Canada Social TransferBy James Gauthier and Shahrzad Mobasher
FardSocial Affairs DivisionRevised 23 July 2009[
PDF version - 56K, 3 pages ]The Canada Social Transfer (CST) is the
primary federal contribution in support of provincial programs related to post-secondary
education, social assistance and social services, and programs for children in
Canada. This short paper offers an overview of the Canada Social Transfer (CST)
that includes the amounts payable to provinces and territories in cash transfers
from 20042005 to 20132014, along with information on related tax point
transfers and associated equalization. It also includes information on the change
in the CST Formula since 2007-2008 and the impact of that change. Source:Library
of Parliament Research PublicationsHINT: Click the link above to access
several hundred reports by this research group, all organized by category.

RECENT
CANADIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REPORTS ABOUT FEDERAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL
WELFARE COSTS TABLED IN PARLIAMENT:

NONE.

ZILCH.

NADA.

NYET.

In
the old days (under the Canada Assistance Plan or "CAP" from 1966 to
1996), the federal government actually gave a shit about helping people in need
AND about government accountability for program dollars. The federal Department
of Health and Welfare was required by law to table, in the House of Commons, an
annual report on the operation of provincial and territorial welfare programs
and social services in Canada, in the same manner as the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services presents annual reports on TANF and welfare dependence to Congress.

In April 1996, a block fund called
the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) replaced CAP's 50-50 cost-sharing
as the statutory mechanism for determining federal contributions to provincial/territorial
welfare programs. [ See A
History of the Health and Social Transfers] Neither the CHST nor its successor,
the Canada Social Transfer (since April 2004), contains rules regarding the production
of reports about welfare for tabling and discussion in the Parliament of Canada.
In fact, the last national public report about welfare in Canada that was tabled
and discussed in the House of Commons was the final CAP Annual Report for 1995-96.
In my view, that's not much accountability for a program of this magnitude.
The CST will cost the Canadian taxpayer almost $11 billion in 2009-10 in cash
transfers alone, all without any debate or even discussion in the House of Commons.

Because the CST is a block fund, and
because it covers post-secondary education, early learning and childcare as well
as welfare and social services, it's no longer possible to calculate how much
each province and territory receives annually from Ottawa specifically earmarked
for welfare. That's why you won't see any Canadian equivalent to Indicators
of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress in the near future. That,
and the fact that there doesn't appear to be any political will by the ruling
federal party to support provincial-territorial programs of last resort at this
time.

NOTE:On
the subject of federal funding and accountability for provincial welfare programs,
the Canadian government's approach pales in comparison with the U.S., where federal
law requires the tabling of the two following reports on state programs under
TANF to Congress:

American and Canadian welfare systems should
NOT be compared without situating each within its social policy context. The
American definition of welfare under TANF applies only to families with children.

A
Study of Federal Transfers to the Provinces and TerritoriesDecember
2008"(...) The federal government uses a number of mechanisms to transfer
funds to the provinces and territories for general areas of spending such as health
or for specific purposes such as improving infrastructure. In 200607, these
federal transfers amounted to approximately $50 billion, or just under 23 percent
of federal spending. Our study examined the three main mechanisms used by the
federal government to transfer funds to the provinces and territories. We also
looked at the nature and extent of conditions attached to these transfers."

News
Release:Auditor
Generals study sheds light on how the federal government transfers funds
to provinces and territories(Chapter 1A Study of Federal
Transfers to the Provinces and Territories - December 2008 Report of the Auditor
General)February 5, 2009Auditor General Sheila Frasers Report, tabled
today in the House of Commons, contains a study [see the link immediately below]
of the three main mechanisms used by the federal government to transfer funds
to the provinces and territories. In 200607, these transfers amounted to
about $50 billion, just under 23 percent of federal spending. They are major sources
of funds for services provided to Canadians in areas such as health and post-secondary
education.

As
a rule, I don't include links to obituaries on my site or in my newsletter. In
this case, however, I've made an exception based on the valuable historical insights
that I've found in the obituary, and moreso in the paper below by John Stapleton,
and that I wanted to share with Canadian social historians --- more pieces of
the puzzle, as it were...[...and no, I won't link to your Aunt Bertha's obituary.
Don't even ask.]

The above obituary
by Gay Abbate appeared in The Globe and Mail on December 23, and it's based in
part on information provided by Dr. Crittenden in the course of interviews with
John Stapleton in 1991.The content of those interviews appears in the paper
below, which provides valuable historical information about Canadian social
policy from the Depression to the mid-1970's when she was Ontario's Deputy
Minister of Community and Social Services. Of particular interest to Canadian
social historians, I'm sure, will be sections like * What Ontario gave up for
CAP * Project 500 in the 1970s * the cap on CAP (I should note that the cap on
CAP was in the early 1990s and not the 1980s, as noted in the above obituary.
John's paper has the correct info on that.)

Social
Policy in Canada - Looking Back, Looking Ahead (PDF - 233K, 40 pages)Peter
HicksNovember 2008Abstract: This paper discusses recent policy
trends, the changing role of the various actors in the system, international comparisons
and a range of other social policy topics. The paper does this by examining the
authors thoughts on trends and future directions as they were set out in
a paper written in 1994. It then fast forwards to 2008 and examines what actually
happened in the intervening years, pointing out areas where earlier forecasts
were reasonably accurate and, where they were not, the reasons for this. The immediate
purpose of the paper is to examine the reasons why social policy analysts need
to look into the future, and to explore ways of managing the inevitably large
risks associated with such future-looking exercises. The underlying purpose, however,
is simply to introduce a range of important Canadian social policy topic to students
and others who are interested in social policy, but without much previous background
in the area.

Recommended reading!
- includes a senior federal government insider's view of the tumultuous
period of the mid-1990s, notably the Social Security Review of 1994. As an insider
myself during that decade (if only on the social program information side of the
Department where author Peter Hicks was an Assistant Deputy Minister), I found
this paper quite interesting and enlightening, notably in its retrospective look
at social policy in Canada in the mid-1990s and thirteen years later, in 2008.

Federal
Court denies retroactive Quebec claim for $394 millionunder the Canada Assistance
PlanJune 6, 2008From 1966-67 until 1996 when it was replaced by the
Health and Social Transfer, the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) was the statutory
framework for federal government contributions (50% of eligible expenditures)
towards the cost of social assistance (welfare) and social services in the provinces
and territories. From 1996 to 2000, the federal government settled all of its
outstanding accounts with each jurisdiction, except for Quebec, which filed a
court action for close to $400 million against the federal government. This amount
represented the total of federal cost-sharing that Quebec officials felt they
were entitled to receive under CAP but never did. CAP officials maintained all
along that the program did not allow for cost-sharing of services and initiatives
that were already receiving federal support under another program (such as Education)
or that were universal in nature.

Upon review, the Court concluded (June 6,
2008) that Canada was not obliged under the terms of CAP to share the cost
of the specified expenses.

*
The services for which Quebec was seeking cost-sharing were:

1.
Services provided to juvenile delinquents in Quebec between 1979 and 1984---
a period during which juvenile delinquents were housed in the same institutions
as children in care of the Quebec government

2.
Social services provided in a school environment between 1973 and 1996---
from the time Quebec transferred this budget item to the Ministère des
Affaires sociales in 1973 until the end of CAP

3.
Support services provided to people with disabilities living in a residential
establishment--- from the time this type of establishment appeared in
the health and social services network until the end of CAP

Source:Federal
CourtThe Federal Court's jurisdiction - its scope of authority to hear
and decide issues - extends across the federal landscape, and it includes claims
involving the Federal Crown.[ About
Federal Court ]

2006-2007 Departmental
Performance Report:Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)HTML
versionPDF
version(3.3MB, 214 pages)This document reports on the performance
of Human Resources and Social Development Canada for the period from April 1,
2006 to March 31, 2007. It reports on the Department's achievements related to
the commitments set out in the 2006-2007 Report on Plans and Priorities. Section
I provides a departmental overview, including a brief description of the socio-economic
environment, and a summary of departmental performance. Section II includes detailed
performance results information by strategic outcome. The financial tables and
information concerning the specified purpose accounts are in Section III, and
Section IV provides more details on programs supporting activities and the consolidated
financial statements.

2006-2007
Departmental Performance Report:Department of Finance CanadaHTML
versionPDF
version (726K, 182 pages)"...provides an overview of the Department's
strategic outcome, a listing of its ongoing priorities, and the associated financial
resources for the 2006-07 fiscal year."

Transfers
to Provinces and Territories [2006] - A CBC News Interactive Feature
(requires Flash Player)
"Ottawa will give out $62 billion in payments to the provinces and territories
for health, social and equalization in 2006. Here's a look at how the spoils
are split."
- click "Continue" on the first page of this CBC interactive feature
to see a map of Canada that you can click to see, for each Canadian jurisdiction,
not only total federal transfer payments in 2006, but also the breakdown of
those payments into two streams: the Canada Health Transfer (covering provincial/territorial
health insurance programs) and the Canada Social Transfer (covering approved
costs of provincial/territorial post-secondary education lumped in with social
assistance [welfare] and social services).
Source:CBC News
NOTES:
1. Compare the numbers in this CBC presentation with those of the federal
Finance Department (in the box with the red border below). Can YOU tell how
much the federal government is contributing towards the cost of provincial/territorial
welfare programs?
I didn't think so. Accountability - easy to promise, tough to deliver.
2. TO THE NICE FOLKS AT FINANCE CANADA:
If you really plan on Bringing
Accountability Back to Government, you could start by splitting the Canada
Social Transfer into two distinct components: one for post-secondary education
and one for social assistance and social services.

Excellent 44-page reference
document dealing with various aspects of the federal government's involvement
in provincial-territorial social programsHistorical Background: -
includes a brief historical overview of social programs since WWI, with special
focus on the programs and standards as of the early seventies and developments
since then, as well as analysis of he EPF Arrangements of 1977, the Canada Health
Act, the Canada Health and Social Transfer, fiscal trends and a comparative analysis
of current standards with historical onesThe Jurisdictional Basis: - incl. Education - Health - Income Support (Social Assistance, Social Insurance)
Intergovernmental Processes:A. Major Mechanisms (Taxation: National
Standards through the Back Door, The Federal Spending Power: National Standards
C.O.D., Shared or Divided Policy Fields: National Standards by Gamesmanship, Charter
Rights and Affirmations: National Standards through Constitutional Politics, and
Intergovernmental Agreements: National Standards through Executive FederalismB.
Alternatives to Unilateralism: The Orchestration of Standards ( National Standards
by Public Demand: The Power of Persuasion, National Standards and the "Information
Age", National Standards by Interprovincial ConsensusTwo Practical
Considerations:A. Political Will (Intergovernmental Pressures - Public
Opinion)B. Money (The Provincial Capacity Argument - The Effectiveness of
Penalties - The "Political Loop" - A Concluding Note)General
Observations and ConclusionsConclusionBibliographyAppendix I: Federal
[social spending] Caps and Cuts, 1972-1995- a chronology of federal
policy and program changes during that period, including the Canada Assistance
Plan, Established Programs Funding (EPF), Equalization and much more...

NOTE:
"Responding to the combined impact of fiscal, intergovernmental and other
pressures, the federal government has, since at least the mid-seventies, been
engaged in what has been widely portrayed as a retreat from the social policy
role established during the immediate post-war period." Appendix I presents
milestones from 1972 to 1996.- This section of the report alone
is worth the download - but you have to download the entire report to read it.
It's a concise chronology of federal government caps and cuts in funding
to provinces and territories under a number of social transfer programs, including
Established Programs Funding, Equalization, the Canada Assistance Plan, the Canada
Health Act, even includes projected cuts under the Canada Health and Social Transfer

Canada Post-Secondary Education Act (CAUT)"The Canadian Association of University Teachers
has long recognized that the health of Canada's universities and colleges
depends on the federal government playing a major role in funding post-secondary
education. The problem has been finding a suitable vehicle for doing so. The
CAUT position since 1985 has been to advocate passage of a Canada Post-Secondary
Education Act, analogous to the Canadian Health Act."
Source:
Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT)

Federal Government Moves
to Implement its $23.4-Billion Commitment for Health and Social Funding[This link is now dead.]Press Release Finance
Canada October 04, 2000 The
$23.4-billion funding commitment will be provided as follows:-
An additional $21.1 billion over five years through increased funding for the
Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) for health, post-secondary education
and social assistance and services. Of this increase, $2.2 billion is provided
to support early childhood development.

Comment:

Back
to the Future?*The June 9, 2000 edition of the Toronto
Star includes a Canadian Press article about Paul Martin's appearance before the
House Finance Committee on June 8. The article focuses largely on the Finance
Minister's criticism of the Canadian Alliance Party's flat tax proposal. The federal
Finance Department's site offers a link to the Minister's speech, but there is
no mention of the flat tax in the speech; the Star references to the flat tax
are rather to oral evidence provided in reply to questions from Committee members.
You'll have to visit the website of the Standing Committee on Finance to see if
they posted the proceedings of Mr. Martin's appearance.

*An article in the June 9 Ottawa Citizen, written by
staff reporters, also mentions the Finance Minister's critique of the Alliance
flat tax proposal, but adds: "Mr. Martin also hinted that the federal
government may break up the federal Canada Health and Social Transfer to the
provinces into three separate packages to ensure, for example, that funds
for health care are used for health care. The transfer system sends tax dollars
to the provinces to pay for health, education and welfare programs. "In the Fall of 1997, the National Council of Welfare released
a report entitled Another Look at Welfare Reform - a look back at Canadian
welfare reforms in the nineties. Here's an excerpt from the first of its 15
recommendations: "The federal, provincial and territorial governments
should agree to a new package of financial arrangements for social programs
with the following four features: (...) four new "cash-only" deals to allow
the federal government to defray the cost of medicare, post-secondary education,
welfare and social services (...)"

NOTE:
For more links to the debate on health care funding and the fiscal imbalance
in Canada, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Medicare
Debate Links page and the Canadian Social Research Links Council
of the Federation page.

Recommended Reading on welfare reform in Quebec!

The Insertion Model or the Workfare Model?
The Transformation of Social Assistance within Quebec and CanadaSeptember 2002
Sylvie Morel, Université Laval
"This research project involves a comparative analysis of changes
in social assistance policies in Canada, particularly in Quebec"Complete
Report (PDF - 2.4MB, 190 pages)
"...we conclude, based on the cases of Quebec and Ontario, that
Canada is currently evolving towards workfare, but encompasses several
variants."
Source:
[Status of Women Canada]

Since
the implementation of the CHST - and especially since the launch in 1998 of the
National Child Benefit and related provincial/territorial investments and reinvestments
- the field of welfare in Canada has been getting fuzzier. Most welfare programs
are still readily identifiable (see the Canadian Social Research Links Key
Welfare Links page), but as time goes on, jurisdictions are moving children's
benefits out of welfare and into other income-tested programs (see the bottom
of the Key Welfare Links page for more detail on that...) and merging, for reasons
of efficiency, programs that were not cost-shared as social assistance under CAP.

Pity
the poor social researcher who is attempting to track changes in the Canadian
welfare system since the nineties. [See Welfare Statistics
on this page for detailed information on welfare caseloads and expenditures during
this tumultuous period.]

Hard
to dismantle a bad dealMay 5, 2004Carole
Goar"When governments bundle disparate bits and
pieces into one big package  an omnibus bill, a multi-purpose program or
a block funding plan  it's a good idea to be suspicious. There is usually
a hidden snare. Canada's premiers learned that, nine years
ago, when Paul Martin sold them a package deal that cost them dearly. It is still
doing residual damage."Source:The Toronto Star

The
Federal Finance Minister responds to theCanadian Council on Social DevelopmentJune
14, 2007Earlier this year CCSD wrote to the Prime Minister and his Finance
Minister about the importance of social development and the Canada Social Transfer
(CST). The letter emphasized the need for increased, predictable and stable funding
for social development as part of sound planning and effective investment in this
country. The Finance Minister's response has been posted on the Policy Initiatives
section of the CCSD website, along with other materials connected to work on the
CST.

NOTE:
On the Policy Initiatives page
of the CCSD website, you'll find related content, including:* The Honourable
Roy Romanow on the importance of the CST (October, 2004) * Federation of Canadian
Municipalities adopts a resolution on the CST (January 2005) * What Kind of
Canada? A Call for a National Debate on the Canada Social Transfer (April, 2004)The
New Social Architecture Series:* The World We Have: Towards a New Social Architecture,
by Katherine Scott, CCSD * Postponed Adulthood: Dealing with the New Economic
Inequality* more...

What
Kind of Canada?A Call for a National Debate on the Canada Social TransferApril
8, 2004"The CCSD is aware that the Canada Social Transfer, in and of
itself, will not resolve all Canada's social challenges. But it can, and should,
be a key instrument in our collective hands to help us address at least some of
these challenges. It is a useful starting point to get a healthy debate going.
A four-point agenda to renew the Canada Social Transfer is proposed:1. The
Canada Social Transfer should be split into two parts: one for social programs
and the other for post-secondary education.2. Funding for the Canada Social
Transfer should be restored to 1994-95 levels, and predictability and stability
of funding should be guaranteed.3. Common principles and objectives for the
social transfer should be agreed to by all parties through a broad engagement
with Canadians.4. A pan-Canadian body should be established to measure outcomes,
share innovation and foster citizen involvement."

The
New Canada Social Transfer: Impetus for a Renewed Era of Innovative Social
Policy in Canada?Notes for Remarks by The Honourable Roy J. Romanow,
P.C.National Arts CentreOttawa, OntarioOctober 14, 2004"Since
April of this year, the CCSD has been working to draw more attention to issues
surrounding Canadas Social Transfer. We have been doing this with a multi-pronged
approach that includes community meetings across the country, discussions with
decision-makers and media interviews. On October 14, 2004, we continued this effort
with a luncheon address by the Honourable Roy Romanow. The event took place at
the National Arts Centre in Ottawa."

2005
Public Accounts of Canada TabledSeptember 29, 2005"The
Public Accounts of Canada for 2005, which include the Financial Statements of
the Government of Canada were tabled in the House of Commons on September 29,
2005. The three volumes can be obtained in print from the Government of Canada
Publications." Click the link above to access the complete report in
individual PDF files:* Volume I - Summary Report and Financial Statements
(PDF 2.0Mb) * Volume II - Details of Expenses and Revenues (PDF 2.8Mb)
* Volume III - Additional Information and Analyses (PDF 3.7Mb)Unpublished
detailed information relating to Sections 4, 5 and 7 of Volume III of the Public
Accounts of Canada 2005 are as follows:* Section 4
(Professional and Special Services) (PDF 882kb) * Section 5 (Acquisition of
Land, Buildings and Works) (PDF 348kb) * Section
7 (Transfer Payments) (PDF file - 2.1MB, 251 pages)Section 7
includes detailed info about: - $31 Billion in 2004-2005
in Payments under the Canada Health Transfer (CHT), the Canada Health and Social
Transfer (CHST), the Health Reform Transfer (HRT) and other targeted federal transfers
in support of health- $14.5 Billion in 2004-2005 in Payments under the Canada
Social Transfer (CST) in support of post-secondary education, social assistance
and social services, including early childhood development and early learning
and childcareIn 2004-2005, Finance Canada made payments of $45.7 billion through
the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, the Health Reform Transfer,
and other targeted federal transfers in support of health and social services,
including both cash and tax transfers. The amount of these cash and tax transfers
in 2004-2005 is shown in the above table. In April 2004 the Canada Health and
Social Transfer (CHST) was split into the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and the
Canada Social Transfer (CST). The CHT is a block-fund transfer to provinces and
territories to provide financial support for the provision of health. The CST
is a block-fund transfer to provinces and territories in support of post-secondary
education, social assistance and social services, including early childhood development
and early learning and childcare. Both transfers are a combination of tax point
and cash transfers.[Extract from Section 7, page 248]

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